Second VA-125 (U.S. Navy)
An A-7A Corsair II, formerly of VA-125, in the aircraft boneyard at Davis Monthan AFB in 1971.
This VA-125 was an Attack Squadron of the U.S. Navy, and was the second squadron to bear the VA-125 designation. It was established as VA-26 on 30 June 1956, and redesignated VA-125 on 11 April 1958. The squadron was disestablished on 1 October 1977. Its nickname was Skylanchers from 1956-1958, and Rough Raiders thereafter.[1]
Significant events
- 11 Apr 1958: The squadron’s mission was changed from air-to-ground/surface attack to the indoctrination and training of pilots and enlisted personnel in attack aircraft for assignment to combat carrier squadrons.
- 11 Dec 1958: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander J. E. Thomas, was killed in an aircraft accident.
- Mar 1960: With the addition of the A4D-2N Skyhawk, the squadron added radar and inflight refueling training to its flight syllabus.
- 19 May 1966: VA-125 was the first squadron in the Navy to receive the TA-4F Skyhawk.
- Jun 1966: The first of several groups of Australians arrived for training by the squadron on the A-4 Skyhawk. The pilots were to form the nucleus of Australia’s first A-4 squadron scheduled for assignment to HMAS Melborne (R-21).
- 13 Mar 1967: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander J. D. Shaw, was killed in an aircraft accident during a routine carrier qualification exercise on the Kearsarge (CVS 33).
- 31 Mar 1969: The last A-4 Fleet Replacement Pilot class began.
- 30 Jun 1969: The last A-4 Fleet Replacement Enlisted Maintenance training program was completed.
- Nov 1969: The squadron began to develop the required training program for the Light Attack Weapons School. In December 1969 the squadron, in conjunction with VA-122, inaugurated a graduate level course for the Light Attack Weapons School that involved all phases of attack aviation.
- Jan 1970: The first A-7 Fleet Replacement Enlisted Maintenance and Fleet Replacement Pilot classes began.[1]
Home port assignments
The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:[1]
- NAS Miramar – 30 Jun 1956
- NAS Moffett Field – Aug 1956
- NAS Lemoore – 24 Jul 1961
Aircraft Assignment
The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:[1]
- F9F-8B Cougar – Jul 1956
- F9F-8 Cougar – Oct 1956
- A4D-1 Skyhawk – 10 Jun 1958
- A4D-2/A-4B Skyhawk – Aug 1958
- A4D-2N/A-4C Skyhawk – 03 Mar 1960
- AD-5/A-1E Skyraider – Sep 1960
- A-4E Skyhawk – Dec 1962
- TA-4F Skyhawk – 19 May 1966
- A-4F Skyhawk – Feb 1968
- A-7B Corsair II – 25 Sep 1969
- A-7A Corsair II – Oct 1969
- A-7C Corsair II – Aug 1975
See also
- VA-125 (U.S. Navy)
- Attack aircraft
- List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
- History of the United States Navy
References
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.
- 1 2 3 4 Grossnick, Roy A. (1995). Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons, Volume 1, Chapter 2, Section 8: Attack Squadron Histories for VA-125 to VA-153 (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. pp. 196–198. Retrieved 2014-02-23.
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